UM students win award at international genetic engineering competition

A team of undergraduate students from the University of Macau (UM) participated in the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Competition 2024 held in Paris, competing against teams from top universities around the world. They won a silver medal for their research on developing a novel exosome-based therapeutic approach to target cancer cells. This is the sixth consecutive year that UM has received an award in the iGEM Competition.

This year’s iGEM Competition attracted the participation of more than 400 teams, which comprised over 5,000 students, from more than 50 countries and regions. Under the guidance of Professor Garry Wong and Associate Professor Lee Tsz On from the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS), a team of 30 UM undergraduate students developed a research project titled ‘CarvengerX: Novel Exosomal Tumor Therapy Using Bidirectional Calcium Overload Platform Built with Synthetic Biology’. The team utilised genetic engineering techniques to develop an exosome ion channel delivery system capable of killing cancer cells. The research project focuses on developing a novel approach by engineering exosomes to deliver calcium ion channels (MscS or hTRPC1) and an NO signalling activator (hNOS2) to cancer cells, stimulating calcium overload and inducing cancer cell death. This innovative system has the potential to provide a specific, effective, and safe cancer therapy, offering new hope for patients who do not respond to existing treatments.

The student team devoted their spare time to designing the project and conducting experiments. They also organised outreach activities to engage with the community and continuously refined their project through communication with professors and frontline doctors. In addition, the team aligned their efforts with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with the aim of contributing to the development of cancer therapies. In mathematical modelling, the team created a calcium dynamic model, a protein molecular model, and a lentivirus transfection model, and used these models to predict experimental outcomes and improve experimental design through mathematical analysis.

Wei Ning, the team leader and a student from FHS and Cheng Yu Tung College, said that the team faced various challenges in communication and project development. However, the team members remained united and overcame all the difficulties together. Through the competition, they enriched their professional knowledge and made many like-minded friends.

Founded in 2003 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the iGEM Competition has become a global event that brings together student teams from around the world to address global challenges using synthetic biology knowledge and showcase the results of cutting-edge research. As a platform for healthy competition, the iGEM Competition not only fosters interdisciplinary scientific collaboration but also provides the public with an opportunity to witness new breakthroughs in the field of synthetic biology.

To read the news on UM’s official website, please visit the following link:
https://www.um.edu.mo/news-and-press-releases/presss-release/detail/59525/

Deputy secretary-general of Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao visits UM

Danilo Afonso Henriques, deputy secretary-general of the Permanent Secretariat of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao), visited the University of Macau (UM), and was warmly received by Rui Martins, vice rector of UM, and Hu Weixing, dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences (FSS). During the meeting, the two parties exchanged views on strengthening economic and trade relations between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, and explored potential areas of cooperation.

Vice Rector Martins said that the meeting provided an important platform for both parties to discuss new areas of research and academic collaboration and ways to address global challenges, and to explore the potential for future cooperation in various areas, including economic development, cultural exchange, and academic research.

During the visit, Dr Danilo delivered a speech titled ‘The Role of Forum Macao in the Context of the Greater Bay Area and Portuguese-speaking Countries’, discussing the role of Forum Macao in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and its significance for Portuguese-speaking countries. He also explored Macao’s strategic importance as a bridge between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.

A key highlight of Dr Danilo’s visit was his interaction with FSS students and faculty. All the participating students were from the new course ‘Politics in Portuguese-speaking Countries’ offered by the Department of Government and Public Administration. The course aims to deepen students’ understanding of the political dynamics and governance of Portuguese-speaking countries and to foster a new generation of scholars and practitioners well-versed in the field.

In addition, Dr Danilo visited the University Gallery to learn about UM’s latest developments and achievements.

To read the news on UM’s official website, please visit the following link:
https://www.um.edu.mo/news-and-press-releases/presss-release/detail/59524/

UM holds events to commemorate Portuguese writer Maria Ondina Braga

The University of Macau (UM) has organised a seminar and an exhibition to commemorate renowned Portuguese writer Maria Ondina Braga, with the aim of celebrating the friendship between China and Portugal and Braga’s important contributions to literature and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

Maria Ondina Braga was one of the most influential Portuguese writers of the 20th century. Her works, which cover a wide range of genres including novels, proses, and travelogues, vividly portray her life and observations in places such as Macao, India, and Angola. Her writing reflects her keen understanding of foreign cultures and her unique insights into intercultural communication, demonstrating the resonances and conflicts between different cultures, especially the complexity and depth of cultural exchange between China and Portugal. Braga’s unique intercultural experiences, especially her time in Beijing and Macao, have built a cultural bridge between China and Portugal.

Yao Jingming and Dora Nunes Gago, former professors in the Department of Portuguese at UM, were invited to the seminar ‘Images of Macau in the Work of Maria Ondina Braga’. During the event, Yao shared stories of his friendship with Braga. Gago, who won the 7th Maria Ondina Braga Grand Prize for Travel Literature for her work Palavras Nómadas, published in 2023, spoke about Braga’s life and writing experiences in Macao. The seminar was moderated by Manuela Carvalho, assistant professor in the Department of Portuguese.

The exhibition ‘“I came here to see the world”—The Life Journey of the Portuguese Writer Maria Ondina Braga’ features two interactive sessions, ‘Where is Maria?’ and ‘Continuation of Story’. It showcases Braga’s life experiences, excerpts from her works, published Chinese translations of her works, and theses on Braga’s works by postgraduate students in the Department of Portuguese. The exhibition is open to the public from today until 30 December at the Portuguese Corner on the second floor of the UM Wu Yee Sun Library (E2).

The events provide a platform for academic exchanges. They also offer the public a comprehensive understanding of Maria Ondina Braga and her works, allowing them to delve into the writer’s inner world and experience the convergence and integration of different cultures through her writings.

To read the news on UM’s official website, please visit the following link:
https://www.um.edu.mo/news-and-press-releases/press-release/detail/59510/

UM organiza eventos para comemorar a escritora portuguesa Maria Ondina Braga

A Universidade de Macau (UM) organizou um seminário e uma exposição em homenagem à escritora bem-conhecida portuguesa Maria Ondina Braga, com o objectivo de celebrar a amizade entre a China e Portugal e os importantes contributos de Braga para a literatura e o intercâmbio cultural entre os dois países.

Maria Ondina Braga é uma das escritoras portuguesas mais influentes do século XX. As suas obras, que abrangem uma vasta gama de géneros, incluindo romances, prosas e textos de viagem, retratam de forma viva a sua vida e observações em locais como Macau, Índia e Angola. A sua escrita reflecte o seu profundo conhecimento das culturas estrangeiras e a sua visão única da comunicação intercultural, demonstrando as ressonâncias e os conflitos entre diferentes culturas, especialmente a complexidade e a profundidade do intercâmbio cultural entre a China e Portugal. As experiências interculturais únicas de Braga, especialmente a sua estadia em Pequim e Macau, fizeram dela uma ponte cultural entre a China e Portugal.

Yao Jingming e Dora Nunes Gago, professor emérito e ex-professora do Departamento de Português da UM, foram convidados para o seminário “Imagens de Macau na Obra de Maria Ondina Braga”. Durante o evento, Yao partilhou histórias da sua amizade com Braga. Gago, cuja obra Palavras Nómadas, publicada em 2023, ganhou o 7º Grande Prémio de Literatura de Viagem Maria Ondina Braga, falou sobre as experiências de vida e de escrita de Maria Ondina Braga em Macau. O seminário foi moderado por Manuela Carvalho, professor assistente do Departamento de Português.

A exposição “Eu Vim para Ver a Terra—A Viagem em Maria Ondina Braga” oferece duas sessões interactivas, ‘Onde está Maria?’ e ‘Continuação da história’. Apresenta as experiências de vida de Braga, excertos das suas obras, traduções chinesas publicadas das suas obras e teses sobre as obras dela elaboradas por estudantes de pós-graduação do Departamento de Português. A exposição está aberta ao público a partir de hoje e até 30 de dezembro no Cantinho Português, no segundo andar da Biblioteca Wu Yee Sun da UM (E2).

Os eventos constituem uma plataforma para intercâmbios académicos. Oferecem também ao público uma compreensão abrangente de Maria Ondina Braga e das suas obras, permitindo-lhes mergulhar no mundo interior da escritora e experimentar a convergência e integração de diferentes culturas através dos seus escritos.

To read the news on UM’s official website, please visit the following link:
https://www.um.edu.mo/pt-pt/news-and-press-releases/press-release/detail/59510/

UM UltiMater opens, featuring exhibitors from Macao and mainland enterprises

The ‘UltiMater 2024 – The 3rd UM Innovation and Entrepreneurship Exhibition’, organised by the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) of the University of Macau (UM) with the support of UM’s Research Services and Knowledge Transfer Office and the Zhuhai UM Science & Technology Research Institute (ZUMRI), opened today (8 November). The exhibition, in collaboration with institutions from Wuxi, Shenzhen, and Foshan, features 80 projects covering areas such as Chinese medicine and ‘big health’, modern financial services, high-tech, and culture and creativity. The event has attracted representatives from government departments, incubators, enterprises, investment firms, and people from different sectors of the community to learn about the latest developments in industry-academia collaboration.

In her speech, UM Vice Rector Xu Jian said that the UltiMater, now in its third year, aims to showcase UM’s achievements in industry-academia collaboration to entrepreneurs, the business sector, investors, and public institutions, so as to facilitate industrial upgrading, diversified development, and cross-sector collaboration. UM will continue to give new impetus to Macao’s ‘1+4’ strategy for economic diversification, cultivate more innovative talent, foster a favourable environment for innovation and entrepreneurship, and promote the development of Macao’s technology industry.

During the event, representatives from government departments, universities, research institutes, and enterprises from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao delivered speeches to share their insights on the theme ‘Innovation Integration, Radiating the 1+4 Diversified Development’. The award ceremony for the ‘2024 University of Macau & Bank of China Trophy UltiMater Entrepreneur Competition’ was also held. In addition, CIE provided guided tours of the exhibited projects to students from several local secondary schools, aiming to enhance their understanding of technological innovation.

To read the news on UM’s official website, please visit the following link:
https://www.um.edu.mo/news-and-press-releases/presss-release/detail/59509/

UM rector visits Hainan for exchanges

The Department of Education and Youth Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR and the Education and Youth Development Bureau of the Macao SAR Government arranged a delegation of Macao higher education leaders to visit Hainan Province for exchanges. Yonghua Song, rector of the University of Macau (UM), was one of the delegation leaders. The delegation was received by Feng Fei, secretary of the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee and chairman of the Standing Committee of the Hainan Provincial People’s Congress. The two parties had discussions on promoting cooperation between higher education institutions in Macao and Hainan. Rector Song also visited several institutions in Hainan and attended a seminar on higher education exchange and cooperation between Macao and Hainan, where he exchanged ideas with about 20 higher education leaders.

Secretary Feng congratulated Macao on its development in higher education in recent years, especially the rapid development of UM. He highlighted the great potential for cooperation between higher education institutions in Hainan and Macao, especially in areas such as joint education programmes, training of tourism professionals, basic education, as well as emerging fields such as ‘big health’ and ocean technology. Rector Song expressed hope that the two sides will leverage the policy advantages of Hainan Free Trade Port to promote cooperation between Macao and mainland higher education institutions, and deepen their exchanges and cooperation in areas such as ‘education + tourism’, ‘big health’, and talent exchange, thereby providing intellectual support for the development of both places.

During the seminar on higher education exchange and cooperation between Macao and Hainan, Rector Song gave an overview of the development, academic exchanges, and talent cultivation of Macao’s higher education institutions, and highlighted the institutions’ advantages in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and their participation in international and regional higher education alliances. The delegation also included Ge Wei, vice rector of UM.

To read the news on UM’s official website, please visit the following link:
https://www.um.edu.mo/news-and-press-releases/presss-release/detail/59505/

UM Teaching Excellence Award recipient gives talk on learning and teaching with AI

The University of Macau (UM) held the University of Macau Teaching Excellence Award Seminar today (7 November). Wong Fai, recipient of the UM Teaching Excellence Award for the 2023/2024 academic year and associate professor in the Department of Computer and Information Science of the Faculty of Science and Technology, gave a talk titled ‘Educating with AI: Dual Pathways in Learning and Teaching’. Drawing on his teaching experience, Prof Wong shared methods for integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into learning and teaching, as well as strategies for enhancing teaching effectiveness and student engagement.

Rui Martins, vice rector of UM, said in his speech that UM attaches great importance to the quality of teaching and students’ learning experience, and therefore presents the UM Teaching Excellence Award every year to encourage and recognise outstanding teaching staff. He also thanked Prof Wong for his more than 20 years of dedication in the field of machine translation and his contribution to promoting teaching innovation, improving overall educational standards, and nurturing more talent for society.

During the talk, Prof Wong shared his experience in large language models and methods for combining learning and teaching with AI. He then talked about his teaching philosophy, which can be summarised in three aspects: simplifying complex concepts, integrating research with teaching, and providing personalised learning experiences. He also discussed the future direction of AI in education and encouraged educators to utilise AI and adopt new methods to create a more engaging and effective teaching and learning environment. In addition, Prof Wong actively engaged with the audience in the Q&A and discussion sessions, which were moderated by Garry Wong, recipient of the UM Teaching Excellence Award for the 2021/2022 academic year and professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences.

To read the news on UM’s official website, please visit the following link:
https://www.um.edu.mo/news-and-press-releases/presss-release/detail/59506/

UM Mandarin Debating Team wins three consecutive championships in inter-university debate competition

The Mandarin Debating Team of the University of Macau (UM) has won the championship of the 22nd Macao Inter-Tertiary Debate Competition organised by the Education and Youth Development Bureau of the Macao SAR Government. This is the team’s third consecutive championship and 11th championship in the competition. In addition, Zhang Yupeng, a student from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, was awarded the title of ‘Best Debater’ in the final.

In the preliminary rounds, the UM team defeated the Macao Polytechnic University team in the first match and the City University of Macau team in the second match. The team defeated the City University of Macau team again in the semi-final and clinched the championship by beating the Macau University of Science and Technology team in the final. Fang Ruiyu, a student from the Faculty of Science and Technology, was named ‘Best Debater’ in the first preliminary match, and Wang Ruisi, a master’s student from the Institute of Collaborative Innovation, earned the ‘Best Debater’ title in the semi-final.

To read the news on UM’s official website, please visit the following link:
https://www.um.edu.mo/news-and-press-releases/presss-release/detail/59504/

UM study shows national education in Macao SAR is effective

The University of Macau (UM) hosted a seminar on mainland and Macao curriculum development and teaching materials compilation, which was jointly organised by the Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) of the Macao SAR Government and the Institute of Curriculum and Textbook Research of the Ministry of Education. During the seminar, Lai Kuan Ju, research assistant professor in the Faculty of Law (FLL) at UM, presented a research report titled ‘Enhancing Students’ Patriotism through Moral and Civic Education’. The report, based on student learning data over the past five years, shows that national education in the Macao SAR has been highly effective and a systematic implementation model has been established.

The report details how the Macao SAR Government has leveraged the respective strengths of universities and associations to develop a national education system. The introduction of general education courses on the Constitution and the Basic Law in universities has significantly strengthened the weaker aspects of national education in primary and secondary schools, particularly in terms of national knowledge and interest in the two laws. In particular, the empirical results of the implementation of national security education through these courses have proven to be appropriate and effective. The report also suggests that primary and secondary schools should focus on imparting knowledge and increasing students’ interest in the subject in order to achieve better learning outcomes.

The report also highlights the development and preliminary testing of teaching materials for moral and civic education, a collaborative effort between DSEDJ, the Centre for Constitutional Law and Basic Law Studies of FLL, and the Macao Basic Law Promotion Association. All the primary and secondary school teachers who attended the training session for the teaching materials found the materials useful for teaching.

In addition, representatives from DSEDJ, the Centre for Constitutional Law and Basic Law Studies of FLL, and the Macao Basic Law Promotion Association had a meeting on the development of teaching materials.

To read the news on UM’s official website, please visit the following link:
https://www.um.edu.mo/news-and-press-releases/presss-release/detail/59488/

Renowned children’s author Bao Dongni gives talks on creative writing at UM

To encourage students and faculty to develop a passion for reading and writing and to promote Chinese culture, the Centre for Chinese History and Culture (CCHC) and the Student Affairs Office of the University of Macau (UM) invited renowned children’s author Bao Dongni to give a series of talks at the university and at several secondary schools. The talks aimed to broaden participants’ understanding of literature and were part of UM’s Festival of Chinese Culture.

In her talks at UM, Bao shared insights from her books Childhood Tree and My Bird Friends. The former illustrates the unique habits and characteristics of plants and animals in Saihanba, a giant artificial forest in north China, and the development of Saihanba; while the latter offers touching stories featuring rare birds in China as protagonists. The talks were well received by the audience. During her talks at secondary schools, Bao shared more about her work. She encouraged students and teachers to explore nature and Chinese culture, and to deepen their understanding of intangible heritage.

To read the news on UM’s official website, please visit the following link:
https://www.um.edu.mo/news-and-press-releases/presss-release/detail/59487/

Congratulations to UM members who will be awarded decorations and medals of merit from Macao SAR Government

The Macao SAR Government has recently announced the list of Decorations, Medals, and Certificates of Merit awarded for 2024, and several members of the University of Macau (UM) are on the list. Lam Kam Seng Peter, chair of the University Council of UM, will be awarded the Decoration of Honour – Golden Lotus; Kong Chio Fai and Ma Chi Ngai, members of the University Council of UM, will be awarded the Medal of Merit – Professions; Iau Teng Pio, associate dean of the Faculty of Law at UM, and Mak Pui In, director of the State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI at UM, will be awarded the Medal of Merit – Education. In addition, UM alumni Chan Ka Leong and Choi Sio Un will be awarded the Medal of Merit – Philanthropy and the Medal for Distinguished Service – Medal for Dedication, respectively.

Decoration of Honour – Golden Lotus

Lam Kam Seng Peter

Chair of the University Council of UM

Medal of Merit – Professions

Kong Chio Fai

Member of the University Council of UM and Honorary Doctor of UM

Medal of Merit – Professions

Ma Chi Ngai

Member of the University Council of UM

Medal of Merit – Education

Iau Teng Pio

Associate Dean of the Faculty of Law at UM

Medal of Merit – Education

Mak Pui In

Director of the State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI at UM

To read the news on UM’s official website, please visit the following link:
https://www.um.edu.mo/news-and-press-releases/presss-release/detail/59474/